As the Trump administration ramps up its immigration enforcement efforts, migrant children—many of them unaccompanied—are increasingly caught in the crossfire, according to advocates and legal experts across the United States.
Children like a 10-year-old girl in California, whose mother was handcuffed and detained during a routine immigration check-in, and a 14-year-old boy awakened by plainclothes officers during an early-morning “wellness check,” are just a few examples of what critics describe as a targeted, coordinated crackdown.
Hundreds of thousands of unaccompanied minors have arrived at the U.S.-Mexico border in recent years, often fleeing violence, poverty, or political instability in their home countries. These children—some as young as infants—now face growing legal and emotional challenges under a slate of new Trump-era immigration rules that limit who can sponsor them, strip them of access to legal representation, and fast-track deportation proceedings.
“This is a concentrated attack on children from so many different angles,” said Marion Donovan-Kaloust, legal services director at the Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef). “It’s shocking to the conscience.”
Detentions and Deportations on the Rise
Since January, the administration has implemented a series of controversial policies that significantly alter how unaccompanied minors are processed. These include:
New sponsor restrictions: Sponsors—often family members—must now meet stringent requirements, including DNA tests and detailed immigration documentation.
Expedited removal: Children are increasingly being placed into fast-track deportation proceedings shortly after being taken into custody.
Increased enforcement around caregivers: Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has reportedly begun targeting adults who care for unaccompanied children, even using the children’s release information as a means to locate and arrest undocumented sponsors.
In one case, a 17-year-old girl named Angelica and her newborn have remained in detention for months because her older sister lacks the necessary documents to qualify as a sponsor. Other relatives declined to apply, fearing deportation themselves.
In another case, Maria, the undocumented mother of a 10-year-old girl, was detained during an immigration check-in after fully complying with sponsor requirements. Her arrest left her young daughter traumatized and separated from both her mother and younger brother.
“This child is still crying over what happened,” said Primitiva Hernandez, executive director of 805 UndocuFund, which supports the family. “She saw her mother handcuffed right in front of her.”
Home and School Raids Alarm Families
Reports have surfaced that federal agents, sometimes joined by the FBI, have shown up at children’s homes and schools. In New York, a mother was startled when agents arrived at her door asking to speak to her 14-year-old son—despite the fact that his asylum petition had already been approved. In Los Angeles, Homeland Security officials attempted to enter elementary schools to question students but were turned away by school officials.
“What interest should a homeland security agent have in a first-grader or a second-grader?” asked Alberto Carvalho, then-superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District.
A leaked ICE memo reveals that agents were instructed to identify unaccompanied minors released to sponsors and assess their deportability. Officers were also told to look for children with alleged gang ties and to pursue enforcement against non-blood-related sponsors.
Advocates say these tactics serve one main purpose: fear. “ICE is using ORR release data to go door to door and instill terror,” said Ann Garcia, attorney at the National Immigration Project.
Legal Aid Cutbacks Leave Children Defenseless
As these policies take effect, the Trump administration has also attempted to defund programs that provide legal counsel to unaccompanied minors. A recent court order temporarily blocked this effort, finding that withholding legal representation violated federal anti-trafficking laws. Nonetheless, the administration is actively appealing the ruling.
Currently, only about half of all unaccompanied minors have legal representation in immigration court. Without lawyers, these children—some too young to read—must defend themselves alone against government attorneys seeking their removal.
“It’s heartbreaking,” said Donovan-Kaloust. “Judges are trying to explain to kindergartners that the government is deciding whether they can stay or be deported.”
Children without legal support are far more likely to be deported. And as hearings are increasingly scheduled immediately after custody, many children face life-altering decisions before they’ve even had time to process their journey or trauma.
“These Children Are Truly Alone”
“This administration is isolating vulnerable children, cutting off access to family and lawyers, and speeding up their removal,” said Donovan-Kaloust. “They’re truly alone—and we’re watching it happen in real time.”
The layered nature of the crackdown—legal, procedural, and emotional—has overwhelmed even seasoned immigration advocates. “Everything is a priority,” she said. “And our ability to respond is being systematically dismantled.”
As the policies continue to unfold, advocates warn of long-term psychological harm to children caught in the system, and a breakdown in the country’s commitment to humanitarian protection.
“These are children,” Donovan-Kaloust emphasized. “And this is how we’re treating them.”
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